The Council discussed the European Union’s policy towards
the Baltic Sea region and the Baltic states.
It adopted the following conclusions concerning the European Union’s policy
towards the Baltic Sea region: 1. The Council notes with satisfaction the
Commission communication on guidelines for a European Union policy towards
the Baltic Sea region. It points out that
the European Union has a genuine interest in contributing to the political
stability and prosperity of the region, an interest recently reflected in the
Stability Pact initiative. 2. The Baltic Sea region has taken on increasing
importance for the European Union as a result of the accession of two new
Member States with Baltic coasts, the entry into force of free trade
agreements and the signing of Association Agreements with the three Baltic
states, to which the pre-accession strategy decided on by the European
Council in Essen will thus be applicable. These new links between the Union
and the Baltic Sea region come on top of those already arising from the
presence of Member States with Baltic coasts, the relations entered into with
Norway under the European
Economic Area, the Association Agreement with Poland
and the signing in 1994 of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement with the
Russian Federation.
Political cooperation and dialogue 3. The European Union is uniquely placed
to contribute to the development and stability of the region on account of
the ties it has built up with the Baltic Sea
states, which result in the establishment of many channels for political
dialogue. 4. The structured dialogue established with the associated states
provides an important framework in this field. The Baltic
states, with which a political dialogue has been conducted under
the Joint Declaration of 11 May 1992, are in future to participate
in that structured dialogue. The Association Agreements and the Partnership
and Cooperation Agreement with Russia provide for the
establishment of a bilateral framework for political dialogue. A dialogue is
also being engaged in with Norway
under the European Economic Area. Consistent use will need to be made of
these various channels with the aim of promoting stability and security in
the region. 5. The adoption of the Stability Pact on 20 and
21 March 1995 at the Paris Conference and its transfer to the OSCE
represent the successful culmination of joint action by the Union
under the CFSP. This initiative should help encourage the putting into
practice of the principles and undertakings laid down at the
United Nations, the OSCE and the Council of Europe. The European Union,
whose policy towards the Baltic Sea region will contribute to the achievement
of the Stability Pact’s objectives, in particular to the constructive development
of Russian-Baltic relations, will continue to keep a close watch on the
further progress of that process, which comes under the OSCE and which could
give rise to the continuation of work carried out in the context of the
regional round tables. 6. Permanent consultation between Baltic Sea states
within the Council of the Baltic Sea states
(CBSS) is also highly important, as borne out by initiatives such as the
appointment of a Commissioner on Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.
Besides some Union Member States, the CBSS includes a number of states with
which the Union maintains close links: associated states, Norway and the Russian Federation. The Council
calls on the Commission to submit to it proposals regarding the role that the
Commission may come to play, within its sphere of competence, in the CBSS.
Economic cooperation 7. Through strong economic growth and trade
liberalisation, the Baltic Sea region will
offer fresh opportunities for trade and investment. The further integration
of the region into the European and the global economy is in line with the Union’s interests. It is with this in mind that the Union should contribute to the development of trade in
the region and direct its assistance. 8. The Council reaffirms the European
Union’s wish to promote the development of trade in the region. The Union is
contributing to this through its various Agreements with the Baltic Sea states, which make provision, each under its
own particular procedures, for the reduction or elimination of trade barriers.
The Union will also endeavour to encourage initiatives to expand trade
between Baltic Sea states that are not members of the Union, by providing
suitable assistance, e.g. in the customs field. 9. The Council notes that
assistance to the region will achieve greater consistency if aid programmes
are planned and developed in the light of the regional context and if a
consensus can be found on certain priorities. In this respect the Council
highlights the importance of greater coordination of existing bilateral and
multilateral assistance programmes, especially, bearing in mind their
respective roles, under the G-24 and under the Council of the Baltic Sea
States, a particularly appropriate forum for Baltic Sea
regional cooperation. In accordance with the Essen European Council
conclusions, particularly those on intra-regional cooperation and trans-European
networks, the European Union will ensure that its own action makes a
complementary contribution to the implementation of regional cooperation and
cross-border projects and projects to foster good neighbourliness in the Baltic Sea region. Assistance provided should take due
account, in accordance with the specific rules of each instrument, of the
following priorities: trade, infrastructure, including transport, investment,
the environment, energy and nuclear safety, education, and development of the
activities of local communities and of the private sector. 10. The Council
requests the Commission to submit to it in the second half of 1995 a report on
the progress of and practical prospects for cooperation in the Baltic Sea region.